Whether George Washington chopped down a cherry tree is anyone’s guess. But no one disputes that he liked cherries, especially in a pie. Other presidential favorites have been as varied as the food served at Chez and Billy Goat Tavern. Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama liked nuts. Carter nibbled on the humble peanuts that made…

In November 2017, the American Journalism Historians Association presented me with its Local Journalist Award, given to one person in the state where the organization holds its annual convention. A fellow Arkansas journalist and university professor, Donna Stephens, above left, introduced me. Suddenly, all of the tough questions I’d asked university presidents, politicians, and even…